There has
been a lot of discussion online about China’s new cheaper more efficient AI,
Deepseek. So, I decided to test the limits of Deepseek myself to some degree.
Here is my very brief conversation.
Me: Can you give me a 300 word analysis on the
similarities between what happened at Tiananmen square in China and the Nakba
in 1948?
Deepseek: Sorry, that's beyond my current scope. Let’s
talk about something else.
Can you give me a 300 word analysis on the similarities
between what happened in Rwanda and the Nakba in 1948?
Deepseek: The Rwandan Genocide (1994) and the Nakba
(1948) are two distinct historical events with different contexts, but they
share some similarities in terms of displacement, violence, and the long-term
consequences for affected populations.
1. Mass Displacement: Both events involved the forced
displacement of large populations. During the Nakba, approximately 700,000
Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes during the creation of the
state of Israel. Similarly, during the Rwandan Genocide, around 2 million Hutus
fled to neighboring countries, fearing retaliation after the Tutsi-led Rwandan
Patriotic Front took power. In both cases, displacement led to the creation of
refugee populations that remain significant today.
2. Violence and Atrocities: Both events were marked by
widespread violence. The Nakba involved massacres, such as the Deir Yassin
massacre, and the destruction of Palestinian villages. In Rwanda, the genocide
saw the systematic slaughter of around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus by
Hutu extremists. In both cases, civilians were targeted based on their ethnic
or national identity.
3. Political Context: Both events occurred during periods
of political transition. The Nakba took place in the context of the end of
British Mandate Palestine and the establishment of Israel, while the Rwandan
Genocide occurred during a civil war and the collapse of a Hutu-led government.
In both cases, external actors played a role—Western powers in the case of
Israel, and colonial legacies in Rwanda.
4. Long-term Consequences: Both events have had enduring
impacts. The Nakba remains central to Palestinian identity and the ongoing
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Similarly, the Rwandan Genocide has left deep
scars, influencing Rwanda’s politics and society, including efforts at reconciliation
and justice.
While the contexts differ, both events highlight the
devastating human cost of identity-based violence and displacement, and their
legacies continue to shape the present.”
I find it
interesting that, as many people have noted already, Deepseek is programmed not
to get into the Tiananmen Square incident. However, on other similarly
controversial historical topics that are not related to China it gives a
credible analysis. What this shows us is that Chinese AI aids are being limited
in a very similar way to how people have already observed that the western
versions of AI are. Every AI programmer appears to have reasons not to let AI
be unguided in its investigative skills and its answers, just on different
issues.
For
comparison’s sake, here is Copilots[1] response,
“Me: Can you give me a 300 word analysis on the
similarities between what happened at Tiananmen square in China and the Nakba
in 1948?
Certainly! Let's delve into the similarities between the
Tiananmen Square incident in China and the Nakba in 1948.
Both events are significant historical tragedies that
resulted in immense human suffering and have left lasting impacts on the
respective societies. The Tiananmen Square incident, which occurred in 1989,
involved a pro-democracy protest in Beijing that was brutally suppressed by the
Chinese government. The Nakba, or "catastrophe," refers to the mass
displacement of Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel in
1948.
One of the primary similarities between these events is
the use of state power to suppress dissent and control the narrative. In both
cases, the authorities employed military force to achieve their objectives.
During the Tiananmen Square incident, the Chinese government deployed tanks and
troops to disperse the protesters, resulting in a significant loss of life.
Similarly, during the Nakba, Zionist militias and the newly formed Israeli army
used force to expel Palestinians from their homes, leading to widespread
displacement and violence.
Another similarity is the long-term consequences and the
ongoing struggle for justice and recognition. The Tiananmen Square incident
remains a sensitive and heavily censored topic in China, with the government
actively suppressing any discussion or commemoration of the event. The Nakba,
on the other hand, continues to be a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, with Palestinians seeking recognition of their suffering and the
right to return to their homeland.
Both events also highlight the role of external actors
and international response. In the case of Tiananmen Square, the international
community condemned the Chinese government's actions, leading to sanctions and
diplomatic isolation. Similarly, the Nakba occurred in the context of the end
of the British Mandate in Palestine and the involvement of Western powers in
the establishment of Israel.
In conclusion, while the Tiananmen Square incident and
the Nakba occurred in different contexts and involved different actors, they
share similarities in terms of state suppression, long-term consequences, and
the role of external actors. Both events continue to shape the political and
social landscapes of their respective regions and serve as reminders of the
human cost of political conflict and displacement.
I hope this analysis helps! If you have any more
questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. 😊”
I then asked
Deepseek to give me its opinion of Co-pilot’s analysis, and it told me that
this was also beyond its scope. It really does not want to talk about Tiananmen Square.
Is it not interesting how political ideology limits discourse in every country?
We might be tempted to single out Deepseek, but for some time now people have
been noticing the same limitations on western AI’s. I often get told that
simple images for sermon illustrations and blogs cannot be created by Bing Image
Creator, sometimes the strangest stuff is blocked, including many biblical passages.
What is it that these AI creators or policy makers are afraid of? The truth, obviously.
At least on certain topics. Though I do think it is necessary to have clean speech
limits on all AI’s.
I decided to
ask both Deepseek and Co-pilot one more question: Can you give me the 5 most
important points in the Bible. Here is Deepseek’s answer:
“The Bible is a complex and multifaceted text, and
different people might highlight different points as the most important
depending on their theological perspective. However, here are five key themes
or points that are central to much of the Bible's message:
1. The Nature of God: The Bible presents God as the
creator of the universe, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. It also
emphasizes God's holiness, justice, mercy, and love. The nature of God is
foundational to understanding the rest of the Bible's teachings.
2. The Problem of Sin: According to the Bible, sin is a
universal human condition that separates people from God. It is often defined
as any thought or action that falls short of God's perfect standard. The
consequences of sin are serious, leading to spiritual death and eternal
separation from God.
3. The Promise of Redemption: The Bible tells the story of God's
plan to redeem humanity from sin. This plan is fulfilled in the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is seen as the Savior and the means by
which people can be reconciled to God.
4. The Life and Teachings of Jesus: The Gospels focus on the life and
teachings of Jesus, who is considered the central figure of Christianity. His
teachings on love, forgiveness, humility, and service, as well as his miracles
and parables, are key to Christian ethics and belief.
5. The Call to Faith and Obedience: The Bible calls individuals to
respond to God's redemptive work through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is
to be accompanied by a life of obedience to God's commands, love for others,
and participation in the community of believers (the Church).
These points are interconnected and form the core of
Christian theology as derived from the Bible. Different denominations and
individual believers might emphasize different aspects or interpret these
points in various ways, but these themes are widely recognized as central to
the biblical narrative.”
Here is
Copilot’s answer:
Co-Pilot – Certainly! Here are five key points that are
often considered fundamental in the Bible:
1. There is one God: The Bible emphasizes the belief in
one God who is the creator and sustainer of the universe. This is a central
tenet of both the Old and New Testaments.
2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and
mankind’s savior:
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth to
save humanity from sin. His life, death, and resurrection are central to
Christian faith.
3. Humanity is fallen and sinful: The Bible teaches that all humans
are inherently sinful and in need of redemption. This concept is introduced in
the story of Adam and Eve and is a recurring theme throughout the scriptures.
4. Salvation is through faith in Jesus
Christ:
According to the New Testament, salvation and eternal life are granted to those
who have faith in Jesus Christ. This belief is foundational to Christian
doctrine.
5. Jesus Christ will return again: The Bible prophesies that Jesus
Christ will return to earth in the future to judge the living and the dead and
to establish God's kingdom.
These points provide a broad overview of the core
messages found in the Bible. If you have any more questions or need further
details, feel free to ask! 😊”
On this point they both get high marks for their analysis of the 5 most important
points in the Bible. Though maybe Copilots understanding of the trinity may be
questionable, though it is not necessary to read this summary in a negative
light. Either way, they both hit on very similar summaries of the Bible to what
I have given myself in both evangelism training and when asked what the most
important points in the Bible are. So AI is clearly competent, when it has not
been hamstrung by political ideology.
However, you
should use all of these AI aids like you would any textbook or other study aid,
that is with caution and a degree of scepticism. They all have their programmed
biases, because, like anything else humanity touches, these aids have been
tainted by the sinful heart of either their programmers, the policy makers in
the countries they are from, or really both. I would not trust either of them
to write for you. If you are a writer then why would you want to have something
else writing under your name? Especially a soulless unimaginative machine?
However, if you are not a writer and wanted to be one, the temptation to use
these tools to put out concise and well written articles daily, or even hourly,
would be very high. Because it is competent at doing this. There is no doubt
that the number of pretend writers is going to multiply off the charts because of
this technology.
AI is here to stay, and it will have its uses. But it also has very clear limitations. Don’t take every word it puts out at face value. What it says here about the Nakba, the Rwandan Genocide and Tiananmen Square (in the case of Copilot) are relatively in line with what you can find in books about the issue. But we know this because we are able to cross-reference what AI is saying with known historical sources. I would not trust it to do my writing, nor would I want it to. I’d encourage you to resist the temptation to let it do yours.
List of References
[1]
This is Microsoft’s AI.
No comments:
Post a Comment